Antonyms — PPSC previous year questions

Statements I and IV test an opposite relation: oafish (stupid, clumsy) is the opposite of astute (shrewd). Simpleton and sage are likewise opposites, so I holds; wise and smart mean nearly the same, so IV fails. Statements II and III test a lesser-to-greater relation: a fine is a lighter punishment than imprisonment. A misdemeanour is a lesser offence than a felony, so II holds; bail and bond are not a lesser-greater pair, so III fails. > I and II hold.

Equity means fairness and impartiality, while bias means prejudice or partiality, so the two are direct opposites. Wealth, revenue and profit are related money terms rather than opposites, and empathy (sharing another's feelings) is not the antonym of bias.

'Discipline' means orderly, controlled conduct, so its antonym is confusion (disorder). 'Order' is a synonym, and 'precious' and 'converse' are unrelated.

A plebeian was an ordinary citizen of ancient Rome as against the patrician nobility, so the word means common, ordinary, undistinguished. Its opposite among the choices is prominent (distinguished, of high standing); commoner and humble are close to plebeian in meaning, and impoverished refers to poverty rather than to social rank.

In the 2016 paper this was an antonym item: questions 1 to 3 asked for a synonym (Salient, Tumid, Coalesce) and questions 4 to 6 for the word opposite in meaning. Pursue means to chase or go after something, and its opposite is 'eschew', to deliberately avoid. 'Foster' means to encourage and 'debate' means to argue; neither is an opposite of pursue, and 'judgmental' is an adjective.

This is an antonym item from the 2016 paper (questions 4 to 6 asked for the opposite word), not a synonym item. Augment means to increase or add to, so its opposite is 'diminish', to reduce. 'Increase' is its synonym and would be the answer only under a synonym instruction; 'argument' is a look-alike word.

This is an antonym item from the 2016 paper (questions 4 to 6 asked for the opposite word), not a synonym item. Commissioned means put into service or officially started, as a ship or a power plant is commissioned, so its opposite is 'terminated', ended or decommissioned. 'Started' is its synonym; 'abundant' and 'brokerage' are unrelated.

Deluge means a great flood or a heavy downpour of water, so its opposite is drought – a long dry spell with no rain. Epidemic, disease and starvation are unrelated to water.

To inherit is to receive property from someone who has died; to bequeath is to leave property to someone in a will – the giving side of the same act, so the opposite. Dole means to hand out in small portions.